Insightful Commentary from and on the Canadian Film World

Greenwood (Review)

One of the different type of relationships experienced among many, (myself included) between a miserable woman and a man who’s willing to help bring her up again no matter what. That’s the story with a woman (Dawn Sadler) and a man (Michael Chwastiak); we’re introduced to him as he explains about his wife, and that he met her when he felt the world was getting out of hand.

Flashing back, the man talks about how he’s walking home after a failed job interview and that’s when she suddenly rides in his path while delivering flowers. The man talks on, explaining that the woman used to be ever the optimist and always found a way to make him laugh and enjoy life. And then there’s something that happens: the woman starts getting depression and she’s not who she once was. I have seen this happen with a couple happy women I’ve met. And I did exactly what our main character then says he did, which is try to make her happy. It may almost feel like it’s too late for his wife now, but he stands his ground. The man tries all he can to talk his wife into helping herself. But she feels it won’t work because she wasn’t really the optimist she was acting as.

For a film with minimal effort in production, the message was very impressive. The plot was heartwarming and meaningful, the characters were feeling feelings that we’ve all felt, and the ending made a whole lot of sense, even activating some senses. It’s not often I feel something like this, but this is a little more different considering my failed efforts. If anything, this taught me how to diffuse such a situation.